Orders placed during the holidays will be shipped from 01/09/2026
Orders placed during the holidays will be shipped from 01/09/2026
In Catania, we would say “rye and potato” scacciata.
In Catania, scacciate are a must in autumn and winter. Delicious, savoury pies made with leavened dough, they are the perfect way to save dinner for an evening with family or friends.
A traditional dish, a symbol of the Christmas festivities, there are many versions, always made with seasonal vegetables or fresh, unsalted pecorino cheese, which is nothing more than the famous Sicilian “tuma”.
Every family has its own way of making scacciate, as well as its own favourite versions.
In this recipe we will prepare it with cultivated beets (you can replace them with wild ones) and potatoes, making a delicious savoury pie that everyone will love and we will cook it in our beloved natural cast-iron hotplate, which gives us a cooking process similar to the one we could make in a wood-burning oven.
So are you ready to follow me into the kitchen? Let’s go and have some fun in the kitchen.
Put the flour in a bowl, add a little water (always lukewarm) and the yeast, mix to dissolve it.
Add the sugar, oil and a little more water, mix and finish with the salt and the last part of the water.
Work the dough in the bowl until it becomes elastic and smooth, just bring the flaps from the outside towards the centre.
Turn the dough over to form a ball and place it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. Two hours should be enough.
Before the dough rises, clean the chard, remove the outer and oldest leaves, rinse and drain. Cut them into pieces, paying particular attention to the white parts which you will have to cut more finely.
Sauté the chard in a frying pan for a few minutes, seasoning with oil and salt.
Peel the potatoes and onion, rinse them and slice them thinly, preferably with a mandoline.
When the dough has risen, take one half and, without excessively deflating it, cut out a sheet about half a centimetre thick.
Grease a baking tray with extra virgin olive oil and cover with the rolled out dough.
It is best to use a natural cast-iron griddle for cooking. The cast-iron griddle guarantees a cooking time similar to that of a stone oven, slow and constant, which improves the taste of the finished product.
Spread the potatoes and onion over the pastry, continue with the sautéed vegetables, grated cheese, salt, pepper, oil and spun paste cheese.
Roll out a sheet with the rest of the dough and cover the filling, roll it out so that the edges are flush with the sheet underneath, cut off the excess with scissors, without revealing the filling at all, and seal the edges, rolling the edges inwards.
Prick with the prongs of a fork to allow the steam to escape during cooking and
bake in a static oven at 170°C for 1 hour and 15 minutes, covering with aluminium foil if you see that the scacciata is darkening too much.
Remove from the oven, cover with a folded kitchen towel and leave to rest for at least an hour in a warm place before cutting.
Divide the scacciata and serve it hot but not steaming, it’s still great even when warm or at room temperature.
If there is any leftover dough, make a scone.
“Mother, wife, and blogger. I have my own blog on Giallo Zafferano and I cook simple dishes just like you would. I wrote the first ebook of Ghisanativa recipes and I am very proud of it. Have you downloaded it yet?
Look for me on Instagram @ilcaldosaporedelsud and Facebook. “
